mazur



March 31, 1964 P. M. MAZUR SILAGE FEEDING Filed Nov. 17, 1961 INVENTOR PAUL M. MAZUR BY N l M w. mm ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,126,872 SILAGE FEEDING Paul M. Mazur, Titusville, NJ. (1 Williams St, New York 4, NY.) Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,050 6 Claims. (til. 119-52) This invention relates to material flow control equipment, more particularly to means for controlling the fiow of silage from a storage portion of a silo to a feeding area utilizing the potential energy of the stored silage in a controlled fashion to deliver desired quantities of silage to the animals to be fed.

In Patents 2,989,946, 2,988,046, and 2,752,885, selffeeding structures of the instant type are disclosed in which pins or splines are provided to support silage within the structure, to permit control of the downward flow of the silage within the structure. Considerable force is required to displace the control pins to efiect desired silage flow. In the earlier patent, manual force must be exerted to displace the control pins to effect silage release. This was subsequently augmented by the development of a hydraulic pin displacing structure of considerably greater complexity.

As in all mechanisms, it is of course desirable to distribute loads equally between mechanism components, and it is of course desirable that the energy required to effect component functioning be kept at a minimum. Similarly, for purposes of economy and efficiency it is desired that the number of parts be minimized, and that the parts themselves be as simple as possible.

It is with the above problems and desiderata in mind that the present means have been evolved, means including both method and apparatus providing for the controlled support of an enclosed material such as a silage mass in a silo. The potential energy of the silage mass may be utilized by employing the instant novel means so as to effect controlled silage release from a storage area to a feeding area. The novel control means are subject primarily to rotary friction and are so designed that the weight of the silage and its movement implements orientation of the control means to a desired position. Two components are required to effect desired operation with a minimum of mechanical accuracy required in their production or positioning.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide improved material flow .control means for nonfree-fiowing materials such as silage or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide flow control means, the positioning of which is aided by the position and movement of the material controlled.

It is also an object of this invention to provide material flow control means requiring a minimal application of external energy to obtain desired functions.

A further object of the invention is to provide control means for regulating silage flow from a storage area to a feeding area in which there is uniform load distribution over all control components.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are attained by provision of a spoked control wheel mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis. The novel spoked wheel is formed with spokes having an epicyclic contour. A plurality of these "ice Wheels are positioned, each wheel in a circumferentially spaced slot at the lower end of the silo. A restraining tripper trigger on the outside wall of the silo engages the spokes of the wheel to prevent wheel rotation until released. Within the silo the wheel spokes engage and support a mass of silage thereabove. In use, release of the tripper permits the potential energy of the silage to be released rotating the wheel and displacing a quantity of silage from the storage area to the feeding area.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that at least one spoke of the wheel is continuously in contact with some portion of the silage mass thereby producing continuously active control and enabling a uniformity of load distribution over the control elements or wheels.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that since the silage mass is being simultaneously released and loaded by different wheel spokes silage flow may be more carefully controlled.

A further feature of the invention resides in the stepped tripper trigger permitting selective rate of feed control.

The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention and their mode of functioning will be made most manifest and particularly pointed out in clear, .concise, and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration with parts broken away of a silo provided with the novel control elements; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective detail view from the interior of the silo showing the orientation of the control wheel spokes; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective detail view from the outside of the silo illustrating the position of the tripper trigger with respect to the control wheel during a condition of nonfiow; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing the tripper trigger in a position permitting silage flow.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to designate like parts.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the novel silo 10 is seen to comprise a foundation 11 preferably formed of concrete or the like, an open base 12 having struts 13 at circumferentially spaced intervals thereabout, and a hollow cylindrical storage chamber 15, capped by conical roof 16 provided with relief valve 17.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the roof and storage chamber structure are of a conventional nature. The storage chamber 15 may be constructed of concrete staves, wood, steel, tile or the like.

The spacing between struts 13 will be such as to permit an animal to insert its head therebetween as more fully described in the aforementioned patents. A cone 20 such as shown in dot dash line at the bottom of FIG. 1 may be arranged within the silo to aid in deflecting the released silage from the storage chamber 15 to the feeding area adjacent struts 13, in a fashion as described in the above referred to prior patents.

The novel flow control section 25 is arranged as a circumferential band interposed between base 12 and the storage chamber 15, as best seen in FIG. 1. Flow control section 25 is preferably formed by providing a band 26 of sheet material such as steel or the like with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 27. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that band 26 may be pro-cast from a material such as concrete or the like, if such proves desirable. Satisfactory fabrication of an economical and efiicient nature has however been obtained by the use of galvanized sheet steel which lends itself to ready handling and forming. To improve the structural rigidity of the band 26- forming the flow control section, struts 13 may be extended upwardly as viewed in FIG. 2 to provide necessary reinforcement. Arranged between adjacent struts l3 surrounding a given aperture 27 is a bearing block 3! Bearing block 30 includes a wedge shaped bafiie 31 extending inwardly towards the center of the silo from the interior wall of storage chamber 15. Pin 32 mounts silage retaining means in the form of wheel 35 for rotation.

Each wheel 35 is provided with a series of spaced epicyclically shaped fingers 36, having a relatively sharp leading edge 37. Wheels 35 are formed of a relatively rigid material such as steel or the like and are provided with bearings to permit ready rotation of the wheels about pins 32 which extend perpendicular to the plane of the wheels.

A pivotally mounted detent or tripper trigger member M} as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 is pivoted by pin 41 extendingfrom the outside of flow control section 25 through to bearing block 30 to provide restraining means controlling wheel rotation. Trigger member 40 may readily be formed of angle iron or the like. The angle iron member here employed provides an arm 42, one leg of which is upstanding from the plane of rotation of the trigger member. A retaining plate 43 formed of a relatively rigid sheet material such as sheet steel or the like is secured to arm 42 by welding or the like.

Retaining late 43 is shown as formed of a triangular configuration so as to obtain the strength benefits provided by the additional material at the point of maximum torque, namely the juncture with arm 42. Plate 43 is formed with a stepped nose portion 44 having step 45, whereby the trigger member 40 may engage the arms 36 of wheel 35 in either of two positions, as will become hereafter more apparent.

Operation In use, the aforedescribed flow control equipment is embodied in connection with a silo ltl so as to control the rate of flow of the silage from the storage chamber 15 of the silo to a feeding area between struts 13.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the flow control techm'que, and apparatus here disclosed may be utilized in conjunction with a variety of other materials. The instant disclosure in connection with a silo is not to be taken as a limitation but is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept.

The silage after storage in the storage chamber 15 in conventional fashion is held in position within the storage chamber 15 by the supporting action provided by arms 36 of the wheels 35. At the time of storage of silage within the silo, each of the tripper members 4%? is oriented in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to maintain wheels 35 against movement. The weight of the silage mass upon the topmost exposed arm 36 of the wheel 35 as viewed in FIG. 2 causes the wheel 35 to tend to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 thereby insuring positive contact between the arm 36 and retaining plate 43 of trigger 40.

With non-free-flowing materials such as silage, a slight displacement of the supporting member, in this instance arm 36, results in a commencement of flow of the silage mass. To obtain this initial movement of the silage mass from the storage chamber 15, arm 42 of trigger member 4%) is displaced to cause wheel arm 36 to rest on step 45 of retaining plate 43. If this slight displacement is sufiicient to provide desired silage flow, further movement of the trigger is not required.

However, if additional silage flow is desired, the tripper member 4% is moved to the position shown in FIG. 4 permitting wheel 35 to rotate further. It is preferred that once the tripper or trigger member 40 is displaced from the wheel, the trigger member 46) be immediately released so as to permit engagement with the subsequent wheel arm 36 to provide for stepped rotation of the wheel and relatively controlled silage flow. Where additional flow is desired, the trigger member 40 may of course be retained in a non wheel engaging position until desired silage flow has been obtained.

The movement of wheel 35 is such that the epicyclically shaped arms 35 cleave the moving silage mass with the aid of relatively sharp leading edge 37 to thereby permit retention of the silage mass.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of wheels employed may be varied to accommodate different material conditions and different feeding conditions. It is preferred however, that the distribution of wheels about the periphery of the silo be such that upon release of the trigger member 40 of any given wheel, the load supported by the remaining wheels be well Within the strength limits of the wheel assemblies.

It is thus seen that a simple flow control arrangement has been provided having particular applicability in controlling the movement of silage from a silo storage compartment to an animal feeding area in which the potential energy of the silage mass serves to aid in effecting displacement of wheel 35 to obtain controlled silage movement. The novel control means are subject primarily to rotary friction and permits ready load distribution over all control members.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a silo, means for controlling the rate of movement of the silage, said means comprising: a vertically positioned wheel mounted-on a horizontal axis adjacent to the walls of the silo with portions thereof extending inside and outside the silo Wall, said wheel having radially extending silage penetrating curved fingers whereby the movement of the silage mass acts to displace said retaining means from a position permitting silage flow to a position supporting the silage mass.

2. In a silo as in claim 1, said retaining means comprising: epicyclically shaped finger means engaging the silage mass along a portion of an epicycloid surface to pierce the moving silage mass during movement of said retaining means and said silage mass, whereby cleavage of the silage mass by said retaining means will be implemented.

3. In a silo as in claim 2: trigger means mounted to engage said retaining means and maintain same in a position of silage support.

4. In a silo as in claim 2: baflle means positioned above said retaining means to direct the silage mass against said retaining means, simultaneously compacting the silage mass to increase its density in the vicinity of said retaining means.

5. In a silo as in claim 2, a relatively sharp leading edge on said finger means to implement cleavage of the silage mass.

6. A silo comprising: a storage chamber; spaced struts supporting said storage chamber at an elevated distance above a feeding area; a silage flow control section interposed between said feeding area and said storage chamher; a horizontally mounted wheel in a vertical plane rotatably mounted peripherally with respect to the silo to extend from the interior of the silo to the exterior thereof through said control section; curved fingers on said wheel;

a trigger member engaging at least one of said fingers at any given instant, successive ones of said fingers engaging the silage mass within said silo to support same, whereby release of said trigger member will result in rotation of said wheel to permit movement of the silage mass from said storage chamber to the feeding area.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7,699 Gardner Oct. 8, 1850 6 Turner Jan. 2, Dueringer et al. Oct. 19, Martin July 24, Singley Apr. 5, Singley Sept. 11,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 3,

(German printed application) 

1. IN A SILO, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF THE SILAGE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING: A VERTICALLY POSITIONED WHEEL MOUNTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS ADJACENT TO THE WALLS OF THE SILO WITH PORTIONS THEREOF EXTENDING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE SILO WALL, SAID WHEEL HAVING RADIALLY EXTENDING SILAGE PENETRATING CURVED FINGERS WHEREBY THE MOVEMENT OF THE SILAGE MASS ACTS TO DISPLACE SAID RETAINING MEANS FROM A POSITION PERMITTING SILAGE FLOW TO A POSITION SUPPORTING THE SILAGE MASS. 